Softball Shut Out at Curry

MILTON, Mass. - A 5-for-7 performance, including three doubles and one home run, from junior Marissa Bruno (Milford, Conn.) helped pace the Curry College Colonels to a Commonwealth Coast Conference sweep on Wednesday afternoon. The Leopards dropped game one by the score of 8-0 and fell 6-0 in the nightcap.

With the wins, Curry improves to 13-17 overall and 4-10 in CCC play, while Wentworth falls to 4-21 overall and 0-14 in the CCC.

Game One: Curry 8, Wentworth 0
Sophomore Vanessa Weymouth (Fremont, N.H.) began the game with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but a ground out to the pitcher ended Wentworth's chance at getting on the board first.

Curry took a 1-0 lead on a home run from Bruno and was followed up by two more runs to gain a 3-0 lead at the end of the first inning. After sophomore April Adams (Burlington, Mass.) reached second on an error, she plated the second Colonels run on a double from sophomore Mikayla Lambert (Blackstone, Mass.). Lambert then scored the third Curry run on a ground ball to third from sophomore Kevi Oatway (East Hartford, Conn.).

In the bottom of the second, Curry tacked on four more runs to stretch their lead to 7-0. Two runs scored on freshman Talia Forte's (East Scituate, R.I.) double and a triple by Bruno. Following the double by Forte and Bruno's triple, sophomore Rachel Byrd (Hampstead, N.H.) and Oatway knocked in two more runs to give Curry a seven run cushion.

The Colonels put the game away in the bottom of the third and capitalized on a passed ball to plate its eighth run. The Leopards had a chance to get a run on the board as sophomore Rachel Willcutt (Tilton, N.H.) reached second on a passed ball in the fourth, but was held at second as the side was retired. Three straight Wentworth ground balls in the top of the fifth sealed the 8-0 win for Curry.

Lambert pitched a five-inning shutout for Curry and allowed three hits while she struck out six. Bruno paced the Colonels going 3-for-3 with two doubles, home run, three runs scored and two RBI, while Adams went 2-for-3 for a triple, two runs scored and one RBI and Lambert went 1-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and one RBI.

Freshman Hayley Rutkey (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) was tagged with the loss and allowed eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits with one walk and one strikeout through three innings. In one relief inning, freshman Erica Norquist (Rutland, Mass.) allowed one hit. Weymouth paced the Leopards going 2-for-2 with two doubles.

Game Two: Curry 6, Wentworth 0
Both Wentworth and Curry remained scoreless through the first two innings of play until Curry knocked in six runs through the third and fourth frames.

In the bottom of the third, the Colonels put the game's first run on the board on a two-run home run off the bat of Lambert. Lambert continued to help power Curry as she knocked in a two-run double in the Colonels' four-run bottom of the fourth.

Curry's home half of the fourth began on an RBI double from Bruno, her third of the day. Bruno was advanced to third on a single by Adams and scored on Lambert's two-run double. Two at-bats later, sophomore Jessica Saluti (Braintree, Mass.) batted in the sixth Colonels run on a single.

Through the two remaining innings, the Colonels silenced the Leopards' bats up until the top half of the seventh frame. Freshman Libby White (Pittsfield, Mass.) singled to begin the inning and advanced to second on a ground ball to second, however, was not advanced as a pop up to the second baseman closed out the 6-0 game two win for the Colonels.

Junior McKenna Barlow (Middletown, R.I.) pitched seven shutout innings and allowed just two hits and one strikeout in the win for Curry. Bruno and Lambert powered the Colonels' offense, going for a combined 4-for-7 with three doubles, one homer, four runs scored and five RBI.

Norquist took the loss in game two for Wentworth and allowed six runs on 14 hits through six innings. Sophomore Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.) and White led the Leopards with one hit apiece.

Wentworth heads to Western New England on Saturday at 12:00 p.m., while Curry travels to Bridgewater State on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.